Corn-harvesting device.



v. R. MODULE & A. HOLLEN'BEOK.

CORN. HARVESTING DEVICE, APPLICATION FILED DEC. 20, 1906.

Patented 00.15.27, 1908.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VERNARD R. MoDOLE, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, AND ALMERION HOLLENBECK, OFJANESVILLE, WISCONSIN.

' CORN-HARVESTING- DEVICE.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

Application filed. December 20, 1906. Serial No. 348,681.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, VERNARD R. MCDOLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, andALMERION HOLLENBECK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Janesville, in the county of Rock and State of Wisconsin, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Harvesting Devices, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to that part of corn harvesting machines whichserves to grasp the stalk and snap the ear therefrom, and which in manyforms of these machines comprises a pair of rolls arranged parallel, orsubstantially parallel, with each other, and provided with corrugated ortoothed surfaces adapted to receive the stalks between them and tosqueeze or snap the ears therefrom.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a device of this samegeneral character which will embody. improved means whereby the ear willbe deflected with respect to the stalk and thereby broken from thestalk, without entirely depending upon the squeezing actioncharacteristic of a pair of rolls acting upon a stalk with an earthereon passing between them.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this generalcharacter which shall embody improved means whereby the ear will begiven rapid or violent lateral deflection, first in one direction andthen in the opposite direction, with respect to the stalk, in such a wayas to cause it to break from the stalk.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of thisgeneral character which shall embody means whereby the ear will not onlybe deflected laterally with respect to the stalk, but will be subjectedto the snapping or outwardly crowding action of the ordinary snappingrolls, in the event the vibratory action or deflection which the earreceives should fail to detach it from the stalk.

With a view to the accomplishment of these ends, and the attainment ofcertain other objects which will hereinafter appear, the inventionconsists in the features of novcity which will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the said drawings,Figure 1 is an elevation of a corn harvestingdevice embodying this invention. Fig.2 is a crosssection thereof on theline 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic section showing the deflectionof the ear in one direction, and Fig. 4 is a similar section showing thedeflection in the opposite direction;

In carrying out the invention we employ two members, which, for the wantof a better designation, may be termed rolls, and each of these isformed with longitudinal ribs 1,

2, 3, having substantially the shape in crossa section shown in Figs. 2,3 and 4, or any other shape, in fact, which will enable the rolls tofirst grasp the corn-stalk, which is indicated at 4:, and then deflectthe car, which is indicated at 5, laterally with re spect to the stalk,in a manner somewhat analogous to that which would be employed by aperson in breaking the ear from the stalk, and substantially as shown inthe diagram. This end may be best accomplished by the form of ribs shownin the drawing,

and each of which, as will be seen, has a rounded periphery 6terminating at each end of its curvature in a flat or straight surface7, 'and this straight surface 7 is of substantially the same length asthe length of the rounded 'or curved surface 6, so that as the rolls arerotated in opposite directions the round part will roll together withthe straight part, but preferably without touching, and preferably someconsiderable dis tance apart, so that the stalk may readily pass betweenthem, the surfaces 7 of each roll being arranged in planes forming atriangle. The rolls are maintained in this relation by gear wheels 8, 9,mounted upon their respective shafts 10, 11, preferably at their upperor rear ends, accordingly as the rolls are arranged in an uprightposition or in a more or less horizontal position, and one of the shaftsis driven to impart the described motion to the rolls by any suitableconnection, such. as bevel-gears 12, 12 and shaft 13, having operativeattachment to the ground wheels of the vehicle on which devices of thischaracter are usually mounted, or they may be operated in any other waynot necessary to illustrate, as the particular driving means does not inany way affect the principle of their operation. These longitudinal ribs1, 2, 3, of the rolls, if desired, may be tapered at their lower ends,giving the rolls themselves a general tapering formation, if desired, tobetter encourage the introduction of the stalks between them, but thisis not material, noris it material whether the ribs be strictly parallelwith the axes of the rolls, or more or less circumferential, or spiral.The rolls at their lower or forward ends, which are the tapered ends,are shown as stepped, or supported in suitable bearings 14, which ifdesired may be pressed towards each other by springs 15 mounted in thesupports 16, in which the bearing-blocks 14L slide, in a familiar manner, to permit the rolls to separate more or less and yield whenencountering stalks or objects of unusual thickness, the upper ends ofthe rolls being similarly journaled and supported, if desired.

By reference to the diagram shown in Fig. 3, it will be seen that whenthe stalk 4: is engaged by the rolls it is pinched or grasped by theround surface 6 and fiat surface 7 where these two start to rolltogether, and then as the fiat surface 7 of the roll on the right movestowards the left it causes the ear 5 to be deflected towards the leftalso without letting go the stalk and without permitting the ear itselfto enter between the two surfaces of the rolls that are rollingtogether; as a consequence, it produces simultaneously a lateralbreaking action and an outward squeezing action, the bite of the.

rolls against the stalk maintaining a firm hold upon it and causing itto move inward with respect to the rolls, while the space between thetwo surfaces that are rolling together is not sufficient to admit thecar itself, and the character of the formation of these two surfaces,which are gradually converging against the butt of the ear with theirdivergent sides outward, causes the aforesaid outward squeezing actionthat literally pulls the ear from the stalk. If, however, the severanceof the car from the stalk should not be accomplished by the time theouter end of the straight surface 7 on the right roll meets the innerend of the straight surface 7 on the left roll, the latter straightsurface acting in conjunction with the curved surface 6 on the rightroll will produce a deflection or bending of the ear in the oppositedirection, or towards the right as illustrated by the positions of theparts in Fig. at,

and as these two straight and curved sur faces complete theircooperating action, they also will effect an outward squeezing orsnapping action against the ear, should it still remain on the stalk.Thus, by properly speeding the rotation of the rolls to one or morehundred times a minute (more or less according to the requirements), itwill be seen that a very rapid and effective wrenching or bending actionmay be produced on the stem of the ear where it connects with the stalk.

In order that the invention might be understood by those skilled in theart, the details of this embodiment thereof have been thus specificallydescribed, but

W hat we claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device for the purpose described, the combination of a pair ofcontiguous rotary members adapted to receive the stalks between them,and provided with means for deflecting the ear of corn while on thestalk at an angle to the line of travel of said members, and means forrotating said members in opposite directions.

2. In a device for the purpose described, the combination of a pair ofcontiguous rotary members adapted to receive the stalk between them,said members having means for gripping the stalk between them, and meansfor deflecting the ear with respect to the stalk at an angle to the lineof travel of the members, and means for rotating said members inopposite directions.

3. In a device for the purpose described, the combination of a pair ofcontiguous rotary members adapted to receive the stalk between them,having means for oscillating the ear on the stalk in oppositedirections, and means for rotating said members in opposite directions.

t. In a device for the purpose described, the combination of a pair ofcontiguous rotary members adapted to receive the stalk between them,said members having co-acting faces adapted to engage the ear anddeflect it laterally at an angle to the line of travel of the members,and means for rotating the members in opposite directions.

5. In a device for the purpose described, the combination of a pair ofcontiguous rotary members having longitudinal ribs provided withoutwardly curved peripheries and flat sides, the curved peripheriesbeing arranged to oppose said fiat sides, whereby the stalk will bereceived between the members and the ear will be deflected to one sideof the line of travel of the members, and- 6. In a device for thepurpose described, the combination of two contiguous rolls havingeo-acting longitudinal ribs, the periphery of each of which is roundedand the sides of each of Which are straight, the straight sides of eachrib being arranged in plaens forming a triangle in cross section, andthe rounded periphery of the rib ofone roll being arranged opposite thestraight side of the rib of the other roll, and means for rotating saidrolls in opposite directions.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses, on this 7th day of December,A. D. 1906.

VERNARD R. MCDOLE. ALMERION HOLLENBEGK.

W'itnesses for McDole:

CHAS. H. SEEM, J. H. J OCHUM, J r.

VVitnesses'for Hollenbeck W. O. NEWHoUsE, WM. MOCUE.

